This topic comes up quite a lot on technology websites, but I generally try to steer clear from it as much as possible, since I'm not the one to talk about it (you know, with me being a man and all that), however, I feel it might be a good idea to just get my opinion out there and be done with it. The topic of women in IT is a hot-button issue, so let me just go out guns blazing: assuming women need special treatment, help, protection, and affirmative action is just as insulting and degrading as outright claiming women have no place in IT - maybe even more so.

Have you ever considered the reason why women don't choose IT careers? You think it might just be that women naturally don't want that sort of job? Seems a little far fetched to me. How about this one: maybe women don't want to pursue an IT career because it is completely male dominated and they don't want to spend their lives being drooled over by an office full of IT guys? Not a great work environment. Now, I'm not say that all male IT workers are going to be creepy or hostile to female employees (although, please refer to the rise of the brogrammer), but that is certainly the prevailing stereotype. Ensuring that more women get jobs in IT will demonstrate to young women that IT is a career that they can pursue and enjoy, and will encourage them to pursue it. So yes, affirmative action CAN help create qualified women, but I wouldn't say it's out of thin air.